All stories by Mark Lawson on BroadwayStars

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Trial By Laughter review – Private Eye team's tribute to satirist by Mark Lawson

Watermill, NewburyThe ‘blasphemous’ 19th-century pamphleteer William Hone is at the sharp end of destructive libel action in Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s dramaIan Hislop and Nick Newma…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:18AM
Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Touching the Void review – thrilling, chilling drama reaches dizzy heights by Mark Lawson

Bristol Old VicDavid Greig finds humour amid the horror in this triumphant stage adaptation of the mountaineering memoirClimbing high mountains is often used as a metaphor for other ominousl…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:12AM
Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Arts Over Borders: Brian Friel festival puts Brexit centre-stage by Mark Lawson

From The Yalta Game to Living Quarters, the Irish playwright’s works have added resonance in this year’s FrielFestAlthough Ireland is famously cultured, it’s a shock to walk into a vil…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:06PM
Thursday, August 2, 2018

£¥€$ (Lies) review – enjoy the thrill of a global banking crisis by Mark Lawson

Almeida, LondonThis ingenious high-stakes show uncovers the psychology of those whose financial flutters shook the worldIn place of the Almeida theatre’s rows of tip-back seats are 10 semi…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:06PM
Monday, July 9, 2018

John Cleese blasts the BBC in lecture on the rise of stupidity by Mark Lawson

The Fawlty Towers star rails against the government, the BBC and British newspapers in stage appearance for Hacked OffIt was hard to know what to expect of a solo show by John Cleese, organi…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:12PM
Monday, June 4, 2018

From Father Ted to Only Fools and Horses: the rise of the sitcom musical by Mark Lawson

A number of comedy classics are being reinterpreted for the stage as ‘joke-box’ musicals. Can they avoid the pitfalls of previous sitcom adaptations?Over the weekend, it has been reveale…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:12AM
Friday, June 1, 2018

'Trump is a Tartuffe': why Molière's banned blockbuster got an update by Mark Lawson

Star Audrey Fleurot and playwright Christopher Hampton talk about his reboot of the hard-hitting moral comedy set in post-Weinstein America“One of the marks of great plays,” says Christo…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:54AM
Saturday, May 19, 2018

I Can't Sing closure: why Harry Hill's X Factor musical was voted off by Mark Lawson

Harry Hill and Steve Brown's show was staged too late – and felt conflicted. We were asked to laugh at the vacuousness of it all yet also care about the charactersWhereas the diaries of mu…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:48PM
Sunday, May 13, 2018

Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense review - Robert Webb and Mark Heap are unflappably farcical by Mark Lawson

This clever PG Wodehouse tribute reproduces the manners of the Edwardian English upper classes, while cunningly sending them up• Bertie Wooster or Jez from Peep Show? Take our quiz• Mark…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:54AM
Monday, March 19, 2018

Yanis Varoufakis: 'Macbeth is at the mercy of forces beyond his control, like Theresa May' by Mark Lawson

The Greek former finance minister talks about the lessons politicians could learn from Shakespeare, ahead of a lecture in LondonIs Theresa May Macbeth? Might King Lear agree with Jeremy Corb…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:00AM
Wednesday, March 14, 2018

'I didn't fancy being stuck in North Korea': the stormy thriller by a Japanese Ulsterman by Mark Lawson

In Francis Turnly’s trilogy one schoolgirl becomes a cat and another goes missing. The sheep farmer turned dramatist discusses The Great Wave, about North Koreans forced into prostitution�…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:00AM
Thursday, January 11, 2018

Politics, star power and prison Shakespeare: how Josie Rourke rocked the Donmar by Mark Lawson

Rourke, who will leave the London theatre in 2019, staged perky experiments, rapid-fire responses and invigorating revivals. Who will take her place?When Josie Rourke leaves London’s Donma…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:02PM
Wednesday, January 10, 2018

The new culture secretary: besides loving Galway Girl, what do we know about Matt Hancock? by Mark Lawson

He rides a racehorse, plays Arctic cricket and has already seen Hamilton. How will the new boss do at the DCMS – and will Ed Sheeran be invited to its Xmas party?In the BBC’s self-satire…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:33PM
Monday, November 27, 2017

From the Bard to Bart: how Mr Burns challenges our common culture by Mark Lawson

If Mr Burns, a provocative vision of post-apocalyptic America, has been slammed, it's because theatre critics know more about Homer than Homer Simpson. More fool them.One of the most tantali…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:33AM
Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Suzy Storck review – home is a battlefield in brooding motherhood drama by Mark Lawson

Gate theatre, London Caoilfhionn Dunne portrays the physical and psychological decline of a reluctant mother of three in Magali Mougel’s chilling, visceral playIt looks as if a bomb has go…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:42PM
Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Peter Hall: the peerless showman who transformed British theatre by Mark Lawson

The great director, who has died aged 86, was a founding father of both the National Theatre and the RSC and masterminded landmark stagings of Shakespeare, Beckett and Pinter The roles of di…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:04AM
Tuesday, August 15, 2017

DollyWould: Sh!t Theatre's fringe tribute to the country singer and the cloned sheep by Mark Lawson

Performance artists Louise Mothersole and Rebecca Biscuit are known for their political shows but their latest was designed to be ‘pure fun’The theatrical double-act Sh!t Theatre got the…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:18PM
Sunday, August 13, 2017

Trumped out: why the fringe can't keep up with 2017 by Mark Lawson

From Trumpageddon to Brexit: The Musical, many would-be topical crowdpleasers at this year’s fringe can’t match the manic pace of real-life news eventsThis would be a bad time to try to …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:18AM
Sunday, August 6, 2017

Mrs Orwell review – Cressida Bonas is persuasive as Orwell's muse and mistress by Mark Lawson

Old Red Lion theatre, LondonThis powerfully acted story of George Orwell’s death-bed marriage to Sonia Brownell makes for an entertaining night of literary intrigue and anecdoteGeorge Orwe…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:48AM
Monday, July 31, 2017

Sam Shepard: the man who conquered Broadway and Hollywood by Mark Lawson

The Pulitzer-winning playwright and Oscar-nominated actor leaves behind a vast career that took him from stage to screen and back againSam Shepard, who has died aged 73, was perhaps the only…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:18PM
Monday, July 10, 2017

Fleabag's Vicky Jones: 'Stop pretending everyone knows how to do sex' by Mark Lawson

From directing Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Fleabag to her new play Touch, Vicky Jones isn’t afraid to tell the truth about young women’s messy sexual exploitsThe theatrical career of Vicky J…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:18PM
Friday, June 23, 2017

Bertie Carvel: 'His speciality is making monsters and demons understood' by Mark Lawson

The actor’s former creations include a psychopathic teacher and an adulterous husband. Now the son of a former Guardian journalist is to play Rupert Murdoch in a new play, InkAs the son, g…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:24AM
Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Bat Out of Hell review – Meat Loaf musical thunders through the hits by Mark Lawson

Coliseum, LondonJim Steinman’s perky lyrics are often overpowered in this musical juggernaut, but his roaring choruses and fairytale plot are built for the ENO’s stageSeveral of the song…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:36PM
Thursday, June 15, 2017

Goalmouth drama: football fans become players in their clubs' stories by Mark Lawson

From the terraces to the post-match showers, two new theatre shows let Cobblers, Blues and Villains supporters tackle their teams’ histories and rivalriesFootball and theatre can both rang…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:06AM
Thursday, June 8, 2017

Oslo: the smash hit about the peace accords that's been scrutinised by 1,000 UN delegates by Mark Lawson

How do you turn a grinding peace deal into a sellout show that’s up for seven Tony awards? Easy, says JT Rogers. Just violate your heroes – and stir in some Noël Coward“If you had tol…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:48AM
Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Theatre should turn its back on blackface by Mark Lawson

The idea of white actors making themselves up as black is shocking to most of us – and yet a theatre in Germany has seen fit to continue the tradition. Why?Most news stories – government…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:06AM
Monday, May 1, 2017

King Charles III: a West End treat for royalists and tourists alike by Mark Lawson

Mike Bartlett's mock-Shakespearean take on constitutional crisis over Prince Charles proves an attraction• 'Royally entertaining' ... Michael Billington's review of the Almeida productionA…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:54PM
Friday, April 14, 2017

Much Ado About Nothing review – Sh!t-faced Shakespeare does the Bard blotto by Mark Lawson

Leicester Square theatre, LondonThis tipsy performance of giggly, off-script improvisation is pointless if it’s put-on, cruel if it’s real, and staggeringly bad if you’re soberThe most…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:24AM
Friday, April 7, 2017

Tim Pigott-Smith: a man born to play kings by Mark Lawson

The actor’s imposing vocal and physical presence equipped him to play Lear and a future Charles III as well as a series of police and army officersCombining height with a voice of unusual …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:02PM
Sunday, March 19, 2017

Elaine Stritch obituary by Mark Lawson

Feisty, quick-witted actor and singer acclaimed as the 'first lady of Broadway'• From Sondheim to 30 Rock: Stritch's career in clips• Stritch interview: 'I'm a do-it-myself kind of broad…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:48AM
Monday, March 13, 2017

Rob Brydon: I Am Standing Up review – comic's comeback is edgier than it seems by Mark Lawson

De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea Picking on the audience is engaging more than cruel as Brydon riffs and ad-libs with seasoned charm in his new tourLined with retirement bungalows and hol…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:32AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards